Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h7TIKk704431; Fri, 29 Aug 2003 14:20:46 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2003 14:20:46 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <004201c36e58$d395e7a0$654cdc42@trudy> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Ken Taber" <kentaber@inetgenesis.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9320] RE: "poem" X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 1492 Lines: 24 I too take offense to this poem. My grandparents came to New York from Cuba in 1929. My grandfather worked many jobs to support my mom and my grandmother. He moved to Miami in 1945. He didn't receive any tax dollars that you meantioned in your poem. In fact, the majority of people on welfare and who get tax support are not immigrants. The majority are single mothers who find it hard to support their kids in today's economy. All my relatives that came from Cuba worked hard. They did not get tax dollars, most of their support came from family members like my grandfather who helped them get on their own two feet. More than 50% of those living in Miami are Hispanics, so it is only logical that it helps to be bilingual. By 2050, a third of this country will be from Spanish-Speaking countries and perhaps by the year 2100 that number will reach half or more like it is in Miami. We should begin a movement in this country to teach our children both languages instead of either Spanish-only or English-only. I am a third generation Hispanic and know only broken Spanish but I wish I listened to my grandfather who told me, "You need to be bilingual!" Maybe we should start a political campaign for bilingualism. That would be more productive than thinking this country will prosper with an English-only philosophy. We live in a global economy. If we are going to alienate others who don't speak our language, we will become bankrupt in that economy. -Ken Taber kentaber@inetgenesis.com
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